I’m a big fan of women who have strong character and alter our perception of what women are capable of. I admire the “Rosie the Riveters” of their time. And one such woman was Amelia Aerhardt. She once said “To act is the hardest part. The rest is merely tenacity.” In my experience, this is definitely true. Well only for some. Because as far as this quote goes, there are two types of people: those who start something and never finish, and those who have the tenacity to finish what they start. Well, there are also those who never even start something due to stagnation. Wow, that got a little more complicated than I originally thought…

Anyway, back to the point. “To act is the hardest part.” For those that have the tenacity to finish, then starting something is definitely the hardest part. For them, after they start, then the tenacity just takes over like it has a mind of its own. But, not everyone has tenacity. Some who have it, were born with. But most who have it, learned it. They may have learned it because they found themselves in a disadvantaged spot and the only way out was through. Or, they may have been taught it by a mentor. That mentor may have been anybody: a teacher, a parent, a friend, or an idol in the media. They may have been a mentor with big and profound lessons that seem like they came out of Hollywood. But for most, myself included, there was a lot of little moments that you did not appreciate until later in life. But, eventually they realize the effects these mentors had.

And for those who were in a disadvantaged spot in life, that went one of two ways: they pulled themselves out by their bootstraps, of they drowned in the feces of their position. They got out by walking through hell, or they succumbed to the vices of man kind: drugs, gambling, or just feeling sorry for themselves and blaming someone else.

But there’s good news for those who don’t have that tenacity. You can always grow it. Character traits are like muscles, excersize it and it will grow. Start small. Work at it. And eventually you will have the tenacity to finish that proverbial marathon.

So who are you? Do you have tenacity, or not? Be honest. You only hurt yourself if you lie. If you don’t, are you going to do something about it? Or are you going to stagnate like an algae infested pond? Remember, moss doesn’t grow on a rolling stone. It’s your choice.

Andrew Massoneau
DOC #1915816